Coupling mechanism for windmills and pumps.



No. 707,7I8. Patented Aug. 26, I902.'

W. F. PFLUEGER.

COUPLING MECHANISM FOR WINDNILLS AND PUMPS.

(Application filed Jan. 24, 1902.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Savant witnesses TNE Norms PETERS (so vaqroumo" WASNINGTON, g. c,

with STATES PATENT OF ICE.

WILLIAM F. PFLUEGER, OF ALTONA, NEBRASKA.

COUPLING MECHANISM FOR WlNDMILLS AND PUMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 07,718, dated August 26, 1902.

Application filed January 24, 1902. Serial No. 91.12% (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,WILL1AM F. PFLUEGER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Altona, in the county of Wayne and State of 5 Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in Coupling Mechanism for Windmills and Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a pump and windmill rod coupler including means for establishing a connection with a pumprod or similar pump-operating device; and the pur pose of the same is to provide simple and effective means whereby a connection may be had between a windmill and a pump direct for actuation of the latter by the windmill or the mill may be thrown out of operative relation to the pump and the latter actuated by hand without disturbing or detaching the improved devices, which are of such nature as to be readily operated in setting up the connection between the pump and the windmill.

A further object of the present improvement is to have the parts so constructed and arranged that they will not become easily dotached and lost, as in many of the present similar constructions or analogous devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism for disposition between the operating members of a windmill andpump of such simple nature that it can be easily and quickly applied in operative position.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the coupling mechanism embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section of the lower coupler of the improved mechanism. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism, partly in section. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the mechanism shown applied to the upper part of a pump.

Similar numerals of reference are em ployed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates the depending windmill rod or bar, which in the present i11- stance has a socket 2 formed at its lower extremity to serve as a receptive means for a verticallymovable pump-rod 3, the latter having a stop-pin 4 or analogous device at its upper end to limit,the downward movement thereof. The upper coupler comprises an L-shaped support 5, secured to the socket 2 and having a horizontal member 6 with a slot 7- adjacent its free extremity. Rising through the said slot 7 is a guide 8, having a screw-threaded shank 9 and an upper guideeye 10, the said shank passing through nuts 11,disposed against the upper and lower sides of the horizontal member of the L-shaped support and vertically adjustable, as well as laterally shift-able, to accommodate diiferent conditions and to compensate for wear and adjustment of the part engaging the eye 10. The nuts 11 inclose the slot 7, and by loosening the nuts the guide 8 can be shifted laterally and will be held in its adjusted position by tightening said nuts against the opposite side of the member 6. To vary the vertical adjustment of the guide, it is revolved in opposite directions to raise and lower the same without loosening the nuts. It will be understood that the eyes 10 and 34Eand their shanks are not adjusted while the bolts 11 and 38 are respectively therein, the adjustment of said eyes being effected previous to the assemblage of the bolts in relation thereto. In

the eye 10 a horizontally-disposed slide-bolt 11 is movably mounted and has a reduced extremity 12 to engage openings 13, 14C, and 15, respectively formed in the vertical member of the L-shaped support, the socket 2, and the pump-rod 3 when the said openings in the several parts coincide. The L-shaped support 5 is held in fixed position in relation to the socket 2 by opposite bolts 16, passing through the opposite extremities of a clip-bar 17, disposed against the side of the socket opposite that on which the vertical member of the support 5 has bearing, said bolt also passing through the vertical member. The slidebolt 11 operates in a plane intermediate of the positions of the bolts 16, and on the end thereof opposite the reduced extremity 12 is an upstanding car 18, to which the outer end of a link-bar 19 is movably attached. .The inner end of said link-bar is movably secured to an intermediate portion of an operatinglever 20, having its inner end pivotally connected to the ear 21, rising from the upper edge of the Vertical member of the L-shaped support 5, the said lever 20 being elongated and having a pull-rod 22 movablysecured to the outer end thereof. The pull-rod depends a distance proportionate to the dimensions of the remaining parts of the device. To render the bolt 11 automatic in its. locking operation, a helical spring 23 surrounds the same and is located between the eyelO and a cross stop-pin 24 in said bolt, so that when the latter is retracted from a locking position or pulled outwardly to withdraw the reduced extremity 12 from the opening 15 in the pumprod 3 said outward movement or retraction is pursued against the resistance of the spring 23, and when said bolt is so withdrawn or retracted the lever and link 19 become parallel in a horizontal plane, and the three fulcrum-points provided in the ears 18 and 21 and at the point where the link is attached to the lever will be disposed in longitudinal alinement, and the said lever by reason of such disposition will remain locked until released. The withdrawal or retraction of the bolt is obtained by pulling downwardly on the pull-rod 22, and a release of the lever 20 from a locked position will result when the said pull-rod is pushed upwardly, as clearly shown by Fig. 1. This upper coupler may in some instances be used alone or independently of the mechanism which will be hereinafter explained; but it is preferred that it be employed in connection with the lower coupler or auxiliary, which cooperates with.

the piston-rod and operating handle or lever of a pump. This auxiliary or lower coupler comprises a supporting-frame 25 of substantially L-shaped form and having the upper endof its vertical member attached, through the mediumof an angular extremity 26, to the lower extremity of the pump-rod 3 by clip-bars 27, hearing against opposite sides of the pump-rod 3 and held in clamped position by bolts 28, passed through the opposite terminals of said clip-bars. By the provision of the angular extremity 26 the frame 25 is suspended from the coupling-bar and projected to form a space between the vertical member of the frame and the adjacent portion of the bar. The horizontal member 29 of the frame 25 has its outer extremity stepped, as at 30, and in said stepped extremity a slot 31 is formed, and against the upper and lower terminals of the slot nuts 32 are applied and engaged by a screw-threaded shank 33, having an upper terminal eye 34 in all respects similar to the shank 9, having the guide-eye l0, heretofore referred to. The nuts 32 are similar to the nuts 11, and the slot 31 permits the shank 33 to be shifted laterally or longitudinally of the stepped extremity to vary the position of said shank 33 and eye 34 for purposes similar to the adjustment of the shank 9 and eye 10. The shank 33 and eye 34 are also Vertically adjustable in relation to the nuts 32, s0 as to have the parts engaging therewith free to operate without undue wear or frictional bind. The adjustment of the screw-shanks 33 is also essentially important in applying the improved mechanism to different pump structures and to accommodate a variation in the elevation or position of the frames 6 and 25 in relation to the parts of the pump and windmill, as it is obvious that the clip-bars 17 and 27 may have to be shifted, as the openings therein for the operating parts or bolts of the improved mechanism in certain makes of windmills or coupling-bars may be at different elevations. The greater portion of the supporting-frame 25 is formed with a longitudinal slot 35, and through the vertical member of said support is an opening 36, which is adapted to be alined with an opening 37 in the lower extremity of the pump-rod 3. In the guide-eye 34 a bolt 38 is disposed and has an inner reduced extremity 39 for engagement with the openings 36 and 37, the said bolt 38 being free to slide, and to maintain the same in a positive position it is provided with an elongated guide-pin 40, depending through the slot and preventing the bolt from having rotative movement. The outer end of the bolt 38 is flattened or otherwise constructed to produce an elon gated guide-eye 41, through which the pullrod 22 extends, the lower terminal of the said pull-rod being in the form of a ring or loop for convenience in operating the same. By

means of the pin 40 moving in the slot 35 and preventing the bolt from having rotative movement the eye 41 will always be held in a horizontal position, so as to avoid binding or bending the pull rod 22, which loosely passes therethrough. To prevent the bolt 38 from becoming accidentally disengaged or uncoupled when in coupling position, a gravitating retaining-catch 43 is fulcrumed thereto and has an outer upwardly-projecting extremity 44,with,an angular terminal 45, which exten ds above the eye 41 outside of the pull-rod 22. The catch 43 also comprises an inwardlyextending straight leg 46,with an inner hooked terminal 47, which is adapted to drop behind a shoulder 48 on the horizontal member 29 of the supporting-frame 25, said shoulder being located at one side of the slot 35, and the upper edge portion of the horizontal member adjacent to said shoulder inclines upwardly to the latter, so that the hooked terminal 47 will gradually move upwardly over the incline and fall upon the shoulder when the bolt 38 is pushed into coupling position. It will be seen that as long as the hooked terminal 47 of the catch is behind the shoulder 48 it will be impossible for the bolt 38 to be drawn outwardly until the outer angular extremity is depressed. This depression of the outer angular extremity 45 of the catch ensues whenthe pull-rod 22 is drawn downwardly and moves outwardly in the eye 41, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. In pulling downwardly on the rod 22 it is inclined outwardly to cause sufficient friction bearing thereof on the angular terminal 45 of the catch 43 to pull the outer extremity thereof downwardly and release or throw up the inner hooked terminal l7 of said catch from behind the shoulder 48. The ele- Vation of the inner hooked terminal of the catch to release it from the shoulder 48 is effected when it is desired to disengage the inner extremity39 of the bolt 38 from the pumphandle or analogous device and the lower extremity of the pump-rod 3, the said bolt 39 being drawn outwardly for release of the catch by a continual outward pressure exerted on the eye 41. When the upper coupler is disengaged from the pump-rod, the pull-rod 22 is drawn downwardly through the eye etl in a vertical plane, as shown by full lines in Fig. 4.

The pump-handle or analogous device 49 has an inner bifurcated extremity or terminal 50, with alined apertures in the opposite members thereof, said inner bifurcated extremity being caused to embrace the lower extremity of the pump-rod, as clearly shown by Figs. 4 and 5. The said inner bifurcated extremity of the pump-handle or analogous device 49 is moved upwardly over the pumprod 3 until the apertures in said extremity aline with the openings 36 and 37, respectively formed in the vertical member of the frame 25 and the lower extremity of the pump-rod, the one member of the inner bifurcated extremity 50 being located in the space between the vertical member of the frame 25 and the adjacent portion of the pump-rod. When the inner extremity of the pump-handle or analogous device 4 is so disposed, the inner extremity 39 of the bolt 38 is pushed through the said inner bifurcated extremity of the pump-handle, and the latter is thus connected to the pump-rod. To assist in guiding the inner bifurcated extremity of the pump-handle from the lower extremity of the pump-rod, a depending flat guide-bar 51 is used and is held at its upper end by one of the bolts 28., and in applying the pump-handle the one side of the inner bifurcated extremity 5O bears against the said guide-bar 51, and the apertures in said extremity 50 will be thereby caused to more accnrately aline with the openings 36 and 37. The pump-handle or analogous device 49 is held in relation to the pump by a fulcrumbar 52, as clearly shown by Fig. 5.

When the upper coupler has the inner extremity 12 of its bolt 11 projected through the opening 15 of the pump-rod, the windmill mechanism when in motion will actuate the said coupling-bar and operate the pump, and at such time the bolt 38 of the lower coupler is drawn outwardly to disengage the pumphandle or analogous device for manually actuating a pump. \Vhen there is no wind or motive power or when the windmill is at a standstill, the bolt ll of the upper coupler is operated to disengage the pump-rod from the windmill mechanism and the pump-handle or analogous device 49 is connected up to the said rod, so that the pump may be manually operated, and during such manual operation the pump-rod 3 freely reciprocates through the socket 2.

The improved device can be readily applied in operative position and in view of the dual coupling features will prove a valuable acquisition to the art to which it pertains.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coupling mechanism of the class set forth, the combination of a windmill reciproeating bar having a socket, a pump-rod slidably engaging said socket, a spring-actuated coupling bolt for connecting the said rod, and a loosely-depending pull-rod and lever mechanism connected to and adapted for withdrawing the bolt into uncoupling position.

2. In a coupling mechanism of the class set forth, the combination of a Windmill reciproeating element, a pump-rod arranged in operative relation to said element, a spring-actuated bolt for detachably connecting the said pump-rod and element, a lever-and-link mechanism for withdrawing the said bolt, a pull-rod attached to said latter mechanism, a lower coupling bolt slidably engaging the lower extremity of the pump-rod and through a part of which the said pull-rod depends, and a pump-operating element also engaging the said lower coupling-bolt.

In a coupling mechanism of the class set forth, the combination with a reciprocating element, of a supporting-frame secured thereto and having an adjustable guide-eye, and a bolt movable through the said eye, a part of the frame and the reciprocating element.

4. In a coupling mechanism 01": the class set forth, the combination with a reciprocating element, of a supporting-frame secured to said element and having a horizontal member with a slot therein, a guide-eye held on the said member, and a sliding bolt engaging the eye and having a pin extending into the slot, the one extremity of the bolt passing through the frame and the reciprocating element and the opposite extremity serving as guiding means for a part of adjacent mechanism. 5. In a coupling mechanism of the class set forth, the combination with a supporting element, of a supporting-frame having a guideeye thereon, a bolt slidably mounted in said eye and a portion of the frame, a part of the frame being formed with an upward incline leading to a catch-shoulder, and a catch device having an angular extremity to ride over the said incline and engage the shoulder.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. PFLUEGER.

Witnesses:

HENRY PFLUEG'ER, Jr., AnoLrI-I PrLUEoEn. 

